Seoul, Oct 21 (IANS): South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Monday to discuss strengthening security and defence industry cooperation amid deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia, Yoon's office said.

During the meeting, Yoon shared the latest information on North Korea's preparations for sending troops to Russia to support its war in Ukraine, and pledged to cooperate closely with the UK and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to counter the threats, his office said, reports Yonhap news agency.

He also expressed a desire to enhance defence industry collaboration with Britain, particularly in naval and air force capabilities, to which Lammy agreed, it noted.

Lammy condemned Russia's illegal actions, including providing forged passports to draw North Korea into troop deployment, as seriously threatening the security of both Europe and South Korea, and committed to actively cooperating with South Korea, the office said.

He also said the UK wants to enhance collaboration in advanced defence technologies in the context of the Pillar 2 projects of the AUKUS security partnership, which includes the UK, the US and Australia, it noted

Launched in September 2021, AUKUS consists of two key pillars. Pillar 1 is to support Australia in acquiring conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, while Pillar 2 is for cooperation in high-tech areas, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence and hypersonics.